#malyk

Dark Seldarine sticker set in my store

Caithe: “It would be nice to get my sense of purpose back.”

The Commander: “Oh wow my childhood innocence! Thank you for finding this!”

Trahearne: “My will to live! I haven’t seen this in 15 years!”

Canach: “I knew I lost that potential somewhere!”

---

You are not a good person.

You lie a lot, and you kill a lot, and you- you know this, you do, you’ve accepted it. It used to make you special once, back when you were younger, that you were the one that could make tough choices, that you could do what brash Riannoc never could, what quiet Trahearne would have never done, what vicious Faolain lacked the finesse for.

(You haven’t felt special in a very long time.)

You watch Malyk hug the Valiant and the truth is that you want to hate him, for coming into your life and uprooting everything that’s brought you this far, threatening to uncover every lie you had ever spoken and every single drop of blood on your hands. He shakes Trahearne’s hand and you want to hate him for making it so hard to do what’s needed, to be kind when he could have been another notch on your blade. He looks at you with a hesitant expression, an aborted smile that doesn’t quite make it across his face, and you wish that you hate him (you don’t) and that you feel nothing (you don’t) and that you don’t have to kill him (you do).

(You do, you do, it has always been you.)

You take Malyk to the back of the Grove and close your eyes.

(He trusts you so easily now. You know it isn’t from anything you’ve done- you know it’s only because your protege. That’s okay. You’re going to betray him anyway.)

“What do you want to talk about?” He asks. He looks around, and by the Pale Mother, he’s young- even younger than the valiant. It’s been hours since he had left, but he’s covered so little distance, inexperienced, small. It had been easy to ask him to come with you. Too easy.

“Are you scared?” You ask. You watch his face flatten and continue. “It will be a hard journey to make, Sapling. The Nightmare Court will spare no sylvari to track you down. And you will be alone.”

You think, stay. You pray.

He doesn’t pause. Doesn’t even flinch. His words drop like stones in the conversation, carrying with it all the weight of a poisoned knife. “I need to know where I came from.” He nods at you, not knowing that something in your chest just broke. “It may be hard, but I have to find the truth.”

You wish he hadn’t said that. You really do.

“Alright.” You say, a sad smile you can feel twisting on your lips. “I can see I can’t change your mind.” He chuckles. You don’t want to do this.

“That’s it?” He asks, and you nod.

“I know a losing battle when I see one.” A pause. “You should go ahead. I have... matters, to attend to here.”

He inclines his head. Already you’re planning. The right way to end his life. The cleanest way. The best way to cut his screams off before they can begin. How to hide the body. How to get rid of the blood.

(You don’t want to do this.)

He turns.

(You don’t want to do this.)

Your dagger is between your (shaking) fingers.

(Y o u d o n ’t w a n t t o d o t h i s.)

He still hasn’t noticed.

(YOU DONT WANT TO DO THIS-

—-

You think of Wynne. 

Your sister. The one you had come into existence with, the one you had loved, Wynne with her life stretched out in front of her, years upon years upon years. The way she had smiled. The way she had laughed. The way she had looked at you and asked to die, had begged, had cried. She had been so small. She had been so young.

You think of driving a knife through your sister’s chest. You think of the blood all over your fingers, getting into the little folds of your leaves, and the smell of rotted wood and decomposing leaves. You think of how much it hurt- you think of how it was necessary. You think of your leaves, worn the way she used to wear it: a reminder, an oath.

You think of your sister.

(You steel your resolve.)

—-

(You have so much blood on your hands already. What’s a little more?)

—-

You are not a good person.

You lie a lot, and you kill a lot, and you-

“I hope Malyk is okay.” The Commander murmurs into your shoulder, face streaked with tears from everything they’ve lost, and you-

With WOTC going back and rewriting the evil races, I feel like shooting out my remake of them I uses for my worlds.

I uses the Forgotten Realm drow deities as a base and connection point for my players to get a feel for who is who.

~~~

Lolth: 

I couldn't think of a whole reason to keep Lolth around. She left such a sour taste in my mouth how she was written in DnD canon and her past self   Araushnee didn’t have much to work with...

So she was a mortal elf who courted Corellon and had Vhaeraun and Eilistraee (as twin Celadrin not dark elves). She lived out her mortal life never becoming a deity by still known throughout elven religious history to modern times. She had no knowledge that  Vhaeraun and Eilistraee were born demigod and rose to full on deity-hood.

~~~

Eilistraee:

Not a nudist, but known as the Queen of Drow. She is the deity of home, festivities, and music. General shown as a female (though having no gender) with long hair (which in my world long hair is general correlated to statues) and wearing light blue, silver, and gold clothing (favorite colors of Corellon.)

She is the only one to have current connections to the Seldarine and avicates for the Dark Seldarine to reintegrate to the  Seldarine pantheon. But has little to no sway in her pantheon, but a strong belief in followers.

She generally keeps to herself in the pantheon, but can leverage power over most other drow deities if need be. She is a female himbo basically; strong, kind, and oblivious to most things outside her domains.)

~~~

Vhaeraun:

Still not a nice guy, but better. Rules as the top deity in the pantheon though rules along side Eilistraee, but blatantly has almost full control. Drow deity of wealth, freedom, thieves, and darkness; has ties to people outside the Dark Seldarine mainly as the God of rebellion and shadow magic.

He believes in an anarchy like rule over all elvenkind, however holds drow society together our of blackmail from the rest of the pantheon as well as some pressure from the Seldarine. Generally believes elves are drawn to different types of magic and that no magic should be forbidden (Seldarine doesn’t like shadow magic making them at odds.) He steal things not related to wealth, like stealing statues or followers of other deities.

~~~

Selvetarm:

Still Vhaeraun and  Zandilar kid. Drow deity of power, control, battle, and loyalty.

Had rough time growing up and killed a demon lord to get favor in the Cosmos... but got taken over by the demonlord. He regand control of himself after a millennium. Still looks slightly demonic. 

He serves as military power within the pantheon and to the whole of drow society. However is not very smart and just listens to higher deities within the  Dark Seldarine.

~~~

Kiaransalee:

Still a lich, but a  Baelnorn lich (basically a good variant of a Lich though she is CN.) Drow deity of the afterlife and judgement.

Her clerics are known to bury and holy water drow graves and tombs to keep from making undead. However also make unholy water to uses as a battle tacit.(Think of canon orc/elf relationship, drows will pour unholy water on orc graveyard to have undead attack the orc encampment.)

Her judgement is very petite and not fair is anyway. If you slighted her in life, your going to have a bad time in the afterlife is she get a hold of your soul; which she sometimes barters with other deities to get a hold of someone who slighted her to make them suffer.)

~~~

Keptolo:  

Not consort of Lolth, just a general consorting person. Drow Deity of lust, courting, love, and betrayal. 

He looks over relationships within drow society; male drow are still more submissive and females more dominate in drow society. He keep male drow to a courting standard that men should show their worth to a female if lust or love is wanted, but heavily want female to have the final say in courting. Generally quiet and loyal to the pantheon and liked by most of Elven deity-hood) 

~~~

Malyk:

Drow deity of magic and knowledge. DnD canon doesn’t have much on this guy, so I also kept it simple.

Supports and encourages unknown, chaotic, and forbidden magic. You can do any magic or study as long as it is arcane in focus, you are in his favor. 

~~~

Zinzerena:

Name Aesthetic // Malyk